First we learned about the research inferring that first born children have a greater chance of insulin resistance. Now we are finding that babies born preterm have elevated insulin levels. The study was published in JAMA.

Researchers searchers have found that preterm infants are more likely to have elevated insulin levels at birth and in early childhood compared to full-term infants, findings that provide additional evidence that preterm birth may be at a higher risk of developing T2D.

Sad but true, it’s been commonplace for most people to assume that a T2D risk results from lifestyle and diet choice, as an adult. But now research is showing that early life and childhood biological factors play an important role in T2D risk.

“These findings provide additional evidence that preterm birth (and perhaps early term birth as well) may be a risk factor for the future development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes,” the authors write.

If the baby is born too soon, it may have elevated levels of circulating insulin. If the baby is born too late, it may be too large. If the baby is born on time, it’s just right in circulating insulin and size.

Is it me or does this sound like a distorted version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”?